Duke scored ten unearned runs in the top of the seventh inning to rally past Clemson 15-10 Saturday afternoon at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. The series is now even at a game apiece, and the rubber game will be played on Sunday afternoon at 1:00 PM.
The Tigers looked like they were going to get out of the seventh unscathed and with a 6-5 lead. However, with one out and runners on first and second, a double play ground ball was hit toward second baseman Jarren Purify. The ball scooted through his lefts for an error allowing the first run of the inning to score to tie the game at 6-6.
Clemson reliever Jacob McGovern (3-1) got a strikeout for the second out but then gave up a two-run single to give Duke an 8-6 lead. After giving up a walk to load the bases, McGovern was replaced by TP Wentworth. Wentworth walked his first batter to force in a run and then was touched for a two-run single to make it 11-6 Blue Devils.
On came Chance Fitzgerald and he promptly hit his first batter to reload the bases. Back to back two-run doubles followed to push the Duke lead to 15-6 before Fitzgerald could stop the bleeding with a ground out to second.
The Tigers came back with three runs of their own in the bottom of the seventh, two of them unearned, to make it 15-9. They added one more run in the tenth to account for the final score.
Early on it looked as if it would be an easy day for the Tigers. After Duke took a 1-0 lead in the first with a solo home run, the Tigers responded with six runs in the bottom of the inning. Josh Paino had a three-run homer to give the Tigers the lead.
After back to back singles and a stolen base, Purify reached on a fielding error by the first baseman which scored an unearned run. Luke Gaffney plated a second unearned run with a ground out to third. Andrew Ciufo drove in a third unearned run with a single to left center for a 6-1 Clemson lead.
Duke chipped away at that lead against Clemson starter Drew Titsworth with a solo homer in the second, a solo homer and a RBI single in the third, and another solo homer in the fifth. That cut the Clemson lead to 6-5 going into the ill-fated seventh inning for the Tigers.
After totaling five hits in the first, the Tigers were held to one hit through the next five innings by Duke relievers Kyle Johnson and Gabe Nard.
Only five of Duke’s runs allowed by Clemson pitchers were earned. The Tigers, however, gave up 13 hits, including four homers, walked 11 and hit three.
Clemson is 38-14 overall and 15-11 in the ACC. Duke is 34-16 and 15-11 in the league. The teams are tied for fifth in the ACC standings, one game behind Georgia Tech.